Sterilizing-cabinet.



No. 793,582. PATENTED JUNE 27, 1905.

J. A. HENNING.

STERILIZING CABINET.

APPLIOATION FILED 00w. 14,1904.

1 mu!!! v L \v v Q witneoawo NITED STATES Patented June 2'7, 1905.

PATENT @rricE.

TO AUGUSTAS F. HENNING, OF AUGUSTA, ILLINOIS.

STERILIZING-CABIN ET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 793,582, dated June 27, 1905.

Application filed October 14, 1904. Serial No. 228,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, JAMES A. HENNINmacitizen of the United States of America, residing at Beardstown, in the county of Cass and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvemens in sterilizing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets and trays to be employed in sterilizing instruments employed by dentists in their practice, although it may be used by doctors of medicine, surgeons, barbers, or all other members of a profession requiring the sterilization of their instruments.

The object of this invention is to produce a cabinet of this character in which there are a series of shelves arranged one above the other and provided with a series of openings or apertures whereby the gas of a sterilizing agent may pass through the same and act upon the instruments on the various shelves.

It is a further object'of this invention to provide a shelf at the top of the cabinet for the reception of a sterilizing agent. In this invention a gas is employed as an agent, and as the gas is heavier than the air it is necessary that the agent should be at the top of the cabinet in order that the gas may reach the various shelves. If a liquid or other similar means were employed, the instruments would be liable to rust, a disadvantage which is obviated by the use of the gas. This is a dry method of sterilizing, no fluid-burning lamp being empl0yed,which would cause sweating and rusting of the instruments.

A-further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character whereby access may be had to one of the shelves independent of the remaining shelves, although means is employed whereby access may be had to the I entire interior of the cabinet.

An additional object of the invention is to produce a device of this character that will be simple in construction, efiicient in practice, and economical to manufacture.

, l/Vith the above and other objects in view lthe invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described in detail. 7

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in both views, in which- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a. cabinet embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof.

In the drawings, A indicates a cabinet having in its face a door B, hinged thereto, as at a. Vithin the cabinet and suitably spaced apart is a series of partitions or shelves 1, provided with the plurality of apertures 2. These shelves 1 form the compartments C. The door B is provided with a series of openings 3, each communicating with one of the compartments C within the cabinet. To either side of each of the openings is provided a guide 4:, in which slides a dropping door 5. Each door 5 is provided with a handle 6 for opening or shutting the same. By this arrangement access can easily be had to one of the compartments 0 independent of the remaining compartments. The openings 3 of the door B are of such size as to allow the passage of trays which are adapted to hold the various instruments.

In practice the various trays are placed on the shelves within the cabinet and a sterilizing agent is placed in the upper compartment of the cabinet. The agents throw forth a gas which will fall through the apertures of the various shelves, and thereby come in contact with the instruments within the trays. If the operator desires to use an instrument within a tray on a certain shelf, it is only necessary for him to lift the drop-door communicating with that compartment, and the tray is free to be removed or withdrawn sufficiently for the extraction of the instrument. If it is desired to reach the interior of the cabinet for repairs or any other purpose, the door B can be opened, when the entire cabinet is free to access. It is also the intention in practice not to extract the instruments from the tray and lay them aside where they are liable to I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sterilizing-cabinet, a plurality of perforated shelves arranged within the cabinet one above the other to form compartments, whereby a sterilizing agent may pass throughout the entire cabinet, a door for one of the faces of the cabinet whereby access may be had to the entire cabinet, and means carried by the door communicating with each of the compartments in such a way that access may be had to one of the shelves independent of the other compartments.

2. In a sterilizing-cabinet, a plurality of perforated shelves arranged within the cabinet one above the other and forming compartments, through which a sterilizing agent is free to pass, a door for one of the faces of the cabinet, said door being provided with a series of openings, each of said openings communicating with a compartment within the cabinet, the lower edge of each opening being flush with the corresponding shelf or floor and means for closing each of the openings Within the door.

3. In a sterilizing-cabinet, a plurality of perforated shelves arranged within the cabinet one above the other and forming compartments, each of said compartments being of such size as to receive a tray, a hinged door for one of the faces of the cabinet, said door permitting access to all of the compartments, said door having a series of openings of such size as to allow the passage of a tray therethrough, each of said openings communicating with a compartment within the cabinet, the lower edge of each opening being flush with the corresponding shelf or floor, guides on the sides of the openings and drop-doors mounted in the guides.

In testimony WhereofIaffiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 30th day of September, 1904,

JAMES A. HENNING.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. GULKER, ALFANSO G. SYLVA. 

